Gear Reviews

The Panasonic S1 is a nicely balanced stills and video camera that brings with it quite a few top-shelf features all packaged in a rugged, versatile, and well-designed body. This great video takes a look at how the camera has held up after using it for almost a year.  

Insta360’s ONE X has been a huge success for them; however, in the wake of the GoPro Hero 8, it’s about time they meet new demands. The GoPro Hero 8 and GoPro MAX 360 cameras are the flagships to beat: Insta360 is trying to take on both at once, for the same price as one. 

Fisheye lenses are always nice to have in your bag. Though they may not always be applicable, especially for professional work, having a nice fisheye lens adds a certain spice to your photos.  

When I needed a 360-degree camera for my real estate photography, I was looking for the Ricoh Theta Z1. I got the new GoPro MAX 360 instead, because the Ricoh was not available at that time. Now, I want to share my thoughts on this 360-degree action camera. 

There isn’t exactly a wealth of affordable options when it comes to 24mm prime lenses for Sony full-frame cameras, so Tamron’s new lens is a welcome addition to the line-up, though it does have its idiosyncrasies. 

Opinions on which camera backpack a photographer should use are probably only second to which camera system they should use. With so many brands of packs out there, and not to mention multiple versions by each of the manufactures, it can be challenging to pick a backpack. To help the readers of Fstoppers, I took a look at four backpacks to see how they stack up. 

Canon's RF lenses have generally been well received, being noted for their high optical quality, even when compared to some of the company's best EF mount glass. This great video takes a look at the RF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens from its performance to its image quality.  

Back in 2018 Nikon released the Coolpix P1000, a super zoom bridge camera with an optical zoom of 125 times. No other camera has this optical zoom range. It could be an alternative for all those part time wildlife shooters. Or perhaps not?

The Canon EOS Ra is a specialized camera, but one that is quite intriguing for anyone interested in astrophotography. This great video takes a first look at it to see if it is right for you. 

A fast 35mm lens is one of the staples of many photographers' kits, making Sony's FE 35mm f/1.8 an intriguing option. This great, comprehensive review takes a look at the lens to help you decide if it deserves a place in your camera bag.  

Following on from the success of its f/2.8 standard and wide-angle zoom lenses for Sony, Tamron is in the process of launching a selection of primes. I’ve been using the 35m f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2 for the last couple of weeks, and it’s proven fun and surprising. 

Sigma's 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art lens for Sony's E mount and the Leica L mount is quite the exciting piece of glass for mirrorless shooters, because it is offered at an impressively affordable price, particularly compared to similar lenses. Can its performance hold up to its more expensive counterparts? This great video review answers that question for you. 

There are a plethora of 360 cameras that can do a fine job creating immersive content for under $500. But when you need to move from “do a fine job” to “do a really awesome job,” there you’ll find the Insta360 Pro 2, waiting for you. 

Today there are a lot of photo enthusiasts that only use a smartphone. It is easy for a lot of people, placing content directly online. Wouldn’t it be great of there was a way to have a flash light that would work seamless with a smartphone? Profoto has the C1 and C1 Plus flash for that.

The wide-aperture 85mm lens is one of the most classic and versatile pieces of glass any photographer can own, but they are not always the cheapest. However, the Viltrox PFU RBMH 85mm f/1.8 STM is a highly affordable option for mirrorless shooters, and it even comes with autofocus. This great review takes a look at this lens to help you decide if it is the right choice for you. 

With dual Thunderbolt 3 ports, eight drive bays, and an optional SSD acceleration bay, Drobo’s 8D is its fastest storage array yet. But the benefits of Drobo aren’t necessarily in speed, but instead in its user-friendly BeyondRAID system that takes the complexity out of managing your RAID setup.

The Nikon Z 50 is the latest camera in Nikon's mirrorless line, and it offers a very affordable entry path into the Z system with some impressive specs. This great review takes a look at the new camera to help you decide if it deserves a place in your bag. 

Fast and reliable portable storage is a must-have for today's mobile creatives, and the big players in the space have been producing increasingly compact and speedy drives every year. In today's review, we'll be taking a look at Caldigit's new Tuff Nano portable drive.  

For those of you who haven't heard of Hasselblad, they were one of the first cameras used to shoot from space and are known today to be one of the top medium format companies around. With a recent release of their X1D II and a unique digital back for their v-system, what is it like to shoot with one of these cameras?

Supertelephoto lenses can be stratospheric in cost at the top levels, and unless you work in a genre that absolutely demands the best in image quality and performance, you are likely to look at alternative options, like 100-400mm and 150-600mm zoom lenses. This great video review takes a look at just such a lens, the Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. 

Tamron's 28-75mm f/2.8 lens has been a runaway hit for the company among Sony users, with its combination of a useful focal length, f/2.8 aperture, light weight, image quality, and affordable price making it highly popular.

Earlier this year, I wrote a review of the CamRanger Mini. As I mentioned in my article, I was looking for a way to remotely trigger my camera when I can't be located in a particular area for the action sports I shoot. I found the CamRanger Mini was a terrific device for remotely controlling a camera, but for me, I needed a little faster reaction time.

While Canon's RF glass has generally received quite high praise, the cameras in the R system have seen more mixed reviews given their feature sets. Nonetheless, after spending quite some time with the EOS R, one photographer has decided it is worth owning. This great video takes a comprehensive look at his reasons why he purchased the camera.  

Most lenses top out around f/1.4 or occasionally f/1.2. There is the occasional lens that maxes out at f/0.95, but this one takes it even further. This great video review takes a look at the Kipon Ibelux 40mm f/0.85 lens. 

Most macro lenses offer 1:1 magnification, which is more than enough for most work. However, when you really want to push the limits, there are lenses that can offer higher levels of magnification. This helpful video review takes a look at such a lens, the Zhongyi Mitakon 85mm f/2.8 1-5x Super Macro lens. 

Wotancraft’s new camera backpack gives you versatility and camera storage without looking like a camera bag. 

Over the last year, I've tried and used a good number of different gimbals. In my view, the DJI Ronin-SC has been one of the best gimbals I've used so far when it comes to the kind of footage it can help produce. This gimbal actually replaced my previous favorite, the WEEBILL Lab; so, I wanted to how it performed against the new and improved WEEBILL-S. 

I’ve shot this camera in a studio, taken it on long hikes, shot it in a blizzard, and taken it out into the dessert. I’ve used and abused it and it’s still going. Medium format film is quite addictive – particularly slide film. There’s nothing quite like holding your 120 slides up to the window on a sunny day or a light table.

The Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens is less than half the price of Sony’s 24-70mm f/2.8 GM. Does this lens live up to the hype? 

I couldn't find a great deal about this lens online, so I thought I would film a review with a of mixture of test shots and looking at how I have used the lens in my own portfolio. Here are my thoughts. 

For many photographers, a good 85mm lens camera is simply indispensable. For full frame cameras, there are plenty of options; however, for those that shoot with an APS-C camera, options are somewhat limited. Fujifilm is one of the companies that offers something brilliant in this range, and I wanted to test and compare it to a full frame "equivalent."  

Two months since its release, the Sony a7R IV has been getting quite a wonderful acceptance from photographers across all fields of photography, and that’s no surprise. For this review, let’s take a look at how the camera performs based on the needs of a landscape and travel photographer.   Every genre of photography has varying requirements in terms of gear.

Sigma's modern design is based around building affordable lenses with high optical quality, with size taking a lower priority to the former two points. One of the lenses that most obviously embodies this is the 40mm f/1.4 Art. This great video review takes a look at this humongous but impressive lens. 

The Nikon Z 50 is the latest mirrorless camera from the company and the first to offer a DX format (crop) sensor. Along with that smaller size is a smaller price, making it an intriguing option for photographers and videographers looking for a portable camera or a good backup option. This great video takes a first look at the new Z 50. 

As creators of my favorite shoulder bag for cameras, I had high hopes for HEX’s big, beautiful Cinema backpack. 

Sony's RX100 line of cameras has evolved into a powerhouse packed into a tiny body, making it a great option for photographers who would like a camera they can drop in their pocket on the go that will still deliver stellar image quality. This great review takes a look at the latest in the line, the RX100 VII. 

Today, I’ll offer you my thoughts on the new Fujfilm GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR medium format lens. 

The Fujinon 200mm f/2.0 is a beast of a lens designed mostly for sports and wildlife, but as a portrait shooter I wanted to see how it stacked up. 

Peak Design is responsible for running some of the most successful Kickstarter projects to date. The company has now launched updates to its existing series of popular Everyday bags while adding a few new ones into the mix. This time, they’re even skipping Kickstarter: everything ships today. 

There has been a trend toward bigger and bigger lenses, sacrificing weight savings and portability for ultimate image quality and mind-blowing apertures. And while few will argue against improved image quality, sometimes, you just do not want to lug around a huge chunk of glass.

The DJI Mavic Mini is a highly portable drone that still packs lots of features that professionals desire. And although it does not have all the capabilities of larger drones, it may be more than enough for you. This great video review takes a look at the drone.  

A proper monitor is the one of the most crucial aspects of any photographer or videographer's post-processing workflow to ensure their ability to deliver the highest quality results. This excellent video review takes a look at a monitor designed for professionals, the Asus ProArt PA32UC. 

Nowadays, post processing images is becoming an entirely new discipline on its own. Every photographer needs a reliable machine to work on.  The Asus Zen AIO (all-in-one) 24 PC is said to be quite the performer. Packing rather flashy specs, it's expected to bring amazing capabilities to the table (literally).

Many users are still waiting for a professional mirrorless camera from Canon, but in the meantime, few can argue the quality of the corresponding RF lenses. This helpful video takes a look at the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM lens. 

Any Apple release is accompanied by fawning fans rushing out to make their next purchase and is inevitably followed by some howling about this feature or that feature. So, before you jump into buying a pricey new MacBook Pro, check out the pros and cons of Apple's latest big release, the 16-inch MacBook Pro.  

The wide-aperture 35mm lens market is a crowded one, but Tamron has added their SP 35mm f/1.4 Di USD lens to the pack, and it looks to be a great option for photographers. Check out this helpful video review of the lens.  

You might think 40mm sounds like a strange focal length. I know I did. But this lens surprised me in all the best ways. 

Photographers and videographers are working on the go and traveling more and more, and their needs for advanced data storage devices are growing. The Gnarbox 2.0 SSD seeks to fill those needs while housing those capabilities in a rugged device made to stand up to the elements. Check out our review of this powerful device. 

Today, we have the conclusion of my three part series having a look at the Fuji GFX 100 in actual practice. 

There is no getting away from it: Fujifilm's decision to implement a “hidden LCD” on their brand new Fujifilm X-Pro3 camera was always going make this a divisive camera. The question is: has Fujifilm created such a niche camera as to make it unusable?